Thursday, November 5, 2009

So the other type of sandwich cookie that I made for Ting's birthday package (read about it here!) were good ol' chocolate vanilla oreos. I figured that these would provide a homey and comforting contrast to the more "out-there" rosemary and lemon cookies that I was including in the box.

Ah--and many of you are probably wondering: why in the world are these cookies purple? Well, purple is Ting's favorite color, so I had to incorporate it somehow. :-)

1. In a bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes on medium.
3. Mix in the egg and vanilla to the fluffed butter and sugar.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients in two batches and mix until combined.
5. Wrap the dough in 2-3 separate portions in parchment paper and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the filling:

For filling:

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup veggie shortening

2 tspn vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1. In mixer, beat butter and shortening for about 2-3 minutes on medium.

2. Add vanilla and gradually mix in powdered sugar.

3. With mixer on high, beat for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.

Baking and assembling:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Take one portion of dough out of the freezer at a time. Roll out dough between two pieces of parchment paper or on a floured surface until about 1/4" thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes.

3. Place prepared dough on a pan with a silpat or sheet of parchment paper. If using, sprinkle half of the cookies with sugar.

4. Bake cookies for ~10-12 minutes, rotating once half-way through.

5. Remove cookies and let cool.

6. Fill a pastry bag with the filling and pipe a small amount on a cookie. Sandwich the filling with another cookie and gently press down.